Champlain's journal: Preparing for exploration By Joel Banner Baird, Free Press Staff Writer • June 2, 2009 On June 5, a small ship (a “shallop”) sailed to Quebec, bringing word to Samuel de Champlain that a larger French supply vessel had only days earlier docked at Tadoussac — a trading post about 100 miles downstream on the St. Lawrence River. Furthermore, the captain of that ship was none other than Francois du Pont Grave, a merchant and fellow seaman well known to Champlain. Pont Grave’s arrival is a conspicuous bright spot in Champlain’s journals from the first half of 1609; the first winter in Quebec had severely tested the first permanent settlement of New France. Champlain wrote:
“This intelligence gave me much satisfaction, as we entertained hopes of assistance from him. Only eight out of the twenty-eight at first forming our company were remaining, and half of these were ailing. “On the 7th of June, I set out from Quebec for Tadoussac on some matters of business, and asked Sieur des Marais (Pont Grave’s son-in-law, who had brought the news) to stay in my place until my return, which he did. “Immediately upon my arrival, Pont Grave and I had a conference in regard to some explorations which I was to make in the interior, where the savages had promised to guide us. We determined that I should go in a shallop with 20 men, and that Pont Grave should stay at Tadoussac to arrange the affairs of our settlement; and this determination was carried out, he spending the winter there. “This arrangement was especially desirable, since I was to return to France, according to the orders sent out by Sieur de Monts (a nobleman and sponsor of Champlain’s expeditions), in order to inform him of what I had done and the explorations I had made in the country.” The prospect of spending the next winter in the relative comforts of Europe seems to have given Champlain a second wind, and he quickened preparations for summer travel: “After this decision, I set out at once from Tadoussac, and returned to Quebec, where I had a shallop fitted out with all that was necessary for making explorations in the country of the Iroquois, where I was to go with our allies, the Montagnais.” Contact Joel Banner Baird at 660-1843 or
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